1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device information renewal system that is capable of renewing automatically device information of image forming devices, such as printers or copiers, which is registered into the operating system of a computer at the time of movement of the computer to a new network environment or at the time of layout change of the image forming devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the network technology, such as the local area network (LAN), is commonly used in restricted places such as the inside of corporate offices, buildings or campuses, and various computers and image forming devices, such as printers, copiers or. scanners, are connected to such network environment, which enables information exchange, sharing of information, sharing of the image forming equipment, etc.
When newly connecting a computer and its peripheral equipment to such network environment, the user needs to perform the setting of network parameters of each device (a server or a printer), such as the network address which indicates the position of each device in the network, by using the classification of the device, the type of the connection device usable in the network, the setting and procedure of the network. The setting of network parameters must be performed when the computer and its peripheral equipment are moved to a new network, or the network environment is changed or the layout change is needed.
For example, when the layout change is needed, it is necessary to move the PC (personal computer) terminal and the shared image forming equipment (such as printers, copiers or multi-function machines) from the old network to the new network. In such a case, the network address (e.g., IP address) of the PC terminal and other parameters (such as the installation place and the administrator name) with respect to the old network must be renewed with respect to the new network. The user has to perform the setting of such network parameters of the PC terminal and the shared image forming equipment.
In order to reduce the user's burden when performing the setting of network parameters, the DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) has been proposed as the automatic acquisition function of the network address (IP address) used as the host address of PC terminal and its peripheral equipment. This protocol is used to perform automatically assignment of the IP address of each device in a network, that is, the setting of network parameters.
However, even when the DHCP is used as the automatic acquisition function of the network address, it depends on the OS (operating system) of the computer. For example, it is necessary to change the setting of the port number of the host address to information setup (property information on the printer registered into the printer folder etc.) of the printer registered in the OS. The network administrator or each user's manual setting operations must be performed, and the burden of the network administrator or each user is significantly large.
Moreover, when a PC terminal is moved to a new network, the device information of a printer registered the OS of the PC terminal corresponds to the old network environment before the movement, and the user must perform the setting of network parameters suited to the new network. When the acquisition of a MAC (Media Access Control) address, a printer model name, etc. is not performed, the user must perform the setting of network parameters suited to the new network in which the PC terminal is actually connected. The user must perform the manual setting operation to make a setting change of the port name of the host address to the device information of the printer registered in the OS of the PC terminal after the movement of network environment, and each user's burden is large.
After the movement of network environment, when the device information of the printer registered in the OS of the PC terminal is not updated, even if printing is possible, it is problematic that the user must go to the printer of the new network environment to use printing paper. If the user does not go to use the printing paper at the printer, the printing paper becomes a waste of resources. When the device information of the printer registered in the OS of the PC terminal is not updated and a printing demand is not accepted in the new network environment, it means that the user has done useless printing work on the other hand.